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There are some stories that are SO tender that you finish them and want to pick it up and start over.  That is what A. L. Sonnichensen's Red Butterfly was to me.  It is a very touching story of Kara - a baby abandoned at birth and taken in by an american woman living in China.  What we find out a ways into the story is that Kara's "mama" is not legally in China and Kara has never been officially adopted.  Kara is immediately taken away, at age 11, and sent to an orphanage to start over with her life.  Her emotions are tender and raw and her anger and hurt is real.  When another family, from Florida, is chosen to be her new family, Kara doesn't desire to be a part of their family and her confusion and frustration are so real that I ached right along with her.  The novel is told in prose and I loved literally EVERYTHING about it - tender, touching and oh so wonderful!

 

I had a highly-respected reading friend suggest the book, Wonder by R. J. Palacio.  So I promptly got a copy and began reading - and thus begins a wonderful story.  I can hardly even relay how strongly I feel about this book - it hit me as a mom, it struck strong cords as a friend, and it moved me deeply on a human level in general.  This is the powerful story of August Pullman, a fifth grade boy born with a severe facial deformity, who is just trying to make his way through middle school - just like all the other kids.  However, his way through school is not at all easy - which can be normal for all kids - but even worse when you look like an "orc".  My heart ached for August as he tried to be like all the other kids - but he was very rarely accepted for who he really was.  What you do come to see through a few close friends, are strong friendships that are based on looking beyond the outward and looking inside to see who our friends REALLY are.  I just LOVE this book - and feel so strongly that I even think it should be required reading in middle school!  I mean that - let's see each other and how we are alike - not how we are different - let's see each other's hearts!

Last year's Newbery Award totally escaped me - I hadn't heard of it or read it for that matter.  So - I just recently got a copy and read it and LOVED it.  Talk about fun - Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool is truly a feast for book lovers - it has a little of everything - mystery, family, quirky characters, prejudice, friendship, humor - and all superbly well-written.  I felt like I lived in Manifest and really KNEW these characters.  The main character, Abilene Tucker is a guaranteed pleaser - she is sweet, innocent, and totally likable.  The friends she meets in the town of Manifest are brilliant and all add to her growth in life - some good, some bad!  You can't miss Abilene's journey down the "Path to Perdition" and Miss Sadie as she pays off her debt - that is how she learns much about her past and begins to also start her new future.

Here is a new author that you don't want to miss! For our younger readers (3rd-6th or Junior High), Eve Yohalem has written, Escape Under the Forever Sky. A wonderful story written about a U.S. Ambassador's daughter that goes with her parents to Ethiopia to live while her mother serves as Ambassador there. Lucy, age 13, has many encounters while she is there, not the least of which is being kidnapped and held for ransom. That is when the story takes an exciting turn and you travel with Lucy as she tries to escape and find safety. This really is a fun book - it is a riveting ride that keeps you going right to the very end!

Margaret Peterson Haddix has written some excellent books for our junior high and teen readers - her latest, The Always War, is no exception. Haddix is famous for drawing you in on the first page and that is exactly what she did again. This futuristic novel is set in the war-torn United States - it is very intriguing - you get a glimpse of what war might look like in the future. I had not thought of how the fighting might look in the future - it was interesting - and brought up many questions. This would be a great book discussion book - HIGHLY recommend it!



*I was sent an Advance Review Copy for review purposes.

Are you a dog lover? Have you ever had a dog that was your best buddy? Have you ever lost a dog and it nearly tore you apart?? Then Bobbie Pyron's A Dog's Way Home will surely touch a chord with you. This is a delightful book that will resound with every dog-lover out there. It is a novel that our junior middle age readers will certainly enjoy. The story is tender and sometimes even hard to read for those of us that have a soft spot for dogs, but SO worth the read. Pyron has captured it - the love we can develop for a dog is one that can not be matched!! Join in on Abby's story as she loses her best friend and dog, Tam - the story that takes up after that loss is surely to be savored over and over. We get to see Abby's struggle as she hopes and waits for Tam to return home and we see Tam's story as he tries to survive in a cruel wilderness. Wonderful chapter book for our 3rd-6th grade readers!

Ahoy yea Mateys - here is a book that you land-lubbers are sure to enjoy! Eddie Jones' The Curse of Captain LaFoote is a new book on the market that I will be sure and share with my male readers! Because yes, I am always on the lookout for boy lit! This is a young adult/tween novel that starts off in the very beginning with a fire that burns down an apartment building and quickly turns to a novel where the main character, Ricky, is thrust into the creek while saving a dog and dies and then becomes a novel where Ricky is given a choice - return to his former life or become a sailor on the high seas. He chooses the new life on the high seas and his real adventures begin. What a fun story - full of adventure and excitement! I do think it will be a pleaser - for boys and girls - and it's a great novel by Jones for the world of teen lit.




AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Tell us about The Curse of Captain LaFoote.
EDDIE: When my boys were young, I'd tell pirate stores on the bow of our sailboat. The lead character was Captain Stinky Foot. Captain Stinky Foot was named after my youngest son. If you've ever spent any time on a boat in August with a crew of unwashed young males then this needs no further explanation. I've always been fascinated by the stories of boys snatched away from London and Bristol and forced to serve before the mast. Seems to me life at sea was more fun than peeling potatoes. And more dangerous.

So The Curse of Captain LaFoote is a pirate tale awash in buried treasure, romance and dead men's bones. The truth is, this book and the ones that follow in the Caribbean Chronicle series are love stories. For Ricky Bradshaw, the hero of the book, the story is a quest to find his father, soul mate, and purpose in life.

What is your lead’s wound?
EDDIE: A friend suggested that I let my lead have epilepsy. She said when she has an episode she sort of zones out—like daydreaming except she can’t stop it. She also said she knows when it’s about to happen. That she smells something like burning wires. So I gave Ricky epilepsy and finished the story.

It wasn’t until much later that I realized the book had a larger purpose. I met another woman at a writer’s conference whose son has epilepsy. During the conference, her son suffered a seizure — the first one he’d ever had without his mother present. The look on her face that morning convinced me that Ricky Bradshaw could be a champion for those suffering from epilepsy.

It’s not cancer or heart disease but over three million Americans live with epilepsy. If the sale of this book can raise awareness, then the book has done its job. For each book sold, the publisher and I will donate “a few pieces of eight” — half a sandy dollar — to the foundation’s Heroes Among Us program. Our goal is to raise ten thousand dollars in honor of Ricky Bradshaw.

What is the spiritual message in your book?
EDDIE: That courage cost. Near the end of the book Ricky has the chance to go back to his old life. We get to do the same thing, go back to our old way of doing things. But Christ says there is a cost for doing the right thing. Ricky faces that choice.

What takeaway value do you hope readers receive after reading this novel?
EDDIE: There are a lot of other deep and important themes explored in the book too. Things like what the poop deck is and why cruise ships no longer use them, the secrets inside Davy Jones' locker, and why you shouldn't walk downwind of a pirate who's just eaten turtle soup.

Seriously, my goal in writing this book was to spur the imagination of young readers. Boys especially. I wanted to create within them a desire to rea

When I say Gary Schmidt - I hope you smile!! If you are clueless, then I say - GET ON BOARD! He is a fabulous author that has captured me with every book he has written! I pass them along to my boys and they love him as well. DO NOT MISS THIS AUTHOR!!! (I would say it louder if I could, but this will have to do!)

I have said it before - LOVE Aldo Zelnick!! This screams "boys" and I cheer whole-heartedly when I see a wonderful series that boys will enjoy!!! If you've missed it before - the Aldo Zelnick series is a comic novel series based on the alphabet. It is geared to our kids ages 7-13 and it is just the right size for our readers that may be daunted by larger chapter books. It follows the adventures of 10 year old, Aldo Zelnick, and this particular installment, Cahoots, focuses on the family summer vacation spent visiting relatives on a small farm in Minnesota. Yep, Aldo still hates physical activity but loves bacon - he hasn't changed a bit!! I love how new vocabulary is introduced in these books - they sneak it right in and kids just read it and never know they are learning excellent vocabulary words at the same time!! You will laugh out loud - I guarantee it - the books are THAT funny. AND it is reminiscent of the Wimpy Kid series format so I really can not say it enough - this will be a hit with those readers. Watch in the fall for the next title, Dumbstruck!


*I was provided a copy for review purposes by the publisher.

Francesca Simon's Horrid Henry series continues to be a big hit here at our library. So her latest, Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman is sure to be another that we can't keep on our shelves! Henry is just quite the kid - he is full of energy and fun - and our young readers can't seem to resist him! My favorite chapter in this book?? "Horrid Henry's Author Visit!!" Yep, it's a good one!!

I have been a fan of Cynthia Lord since Rules - Touch blue, her latest, did not disappoint!! Lord places a strong emphasis on family in her novels - and I think that is just "key" for our readers. I suggest her books liberally to our younger readers - and even some older ones too - they are loved by all ages.

Touch blue is the story of families that live on an island - an island that may have to close its school because their numbers of children are WAY down. SO, a plan is devised for families to foster children from the mainland in order to raise their numbers and save their school. We follow the Brooks' family as they bring in a 13 year old boy, Aaron. It is so tender - it is a great picture of the foster care system and the positives and negatives. It is honest and humorous all at the same time. Cynthia Lord is magnificent!!!

I am excited to tell my "younger sports readers" about a new series I was introduced to. The Wild Soccer Bunch by Joachim Masannek is a fun ride for kids that enjoy soccer. Masannek was a soccer coach, himself, so he knows the thrills that can go along with kids' soccer teams. I know my younger readers will enjoy this new series - even the girls - because Masannek has purposely incorporated girls on his team as well! Fun books - AND a fun website to go along - visit WildSoccer and learn more.

So I will admit it - I am NOT a graphic novel reader or comic book reader - but when I read books with these great line drawings in them - I think "I could get used to this!" Karla Oceanak's Artsy-Fartsy is one of those books! Aldo is the main character of this new series and "he's not athletic like his older brother, he's not a rock hound like his best friend, but he does like bacon." Cracks me up - just like so many other parts of this book - your younger set will LOVE it. Oh yes, and here's the best part - each book focuses on a letter of the alphabet, so in the back of each book is an illustrated glossary of "A" words or whichever letter that particular book is featuring. You just can't go wrong and I do think the kids that read Wimpy Kid will enjoy this new series.

The second book, Bogus, will be published in May. Go HERE to see Aldo on his own website!!

Lindsay Eland has written a novel that I just fell in love with - Scones and Sensibility is such a sweet junior high novel.  Do you love Anne of Green Gables?  Do you love Pride and Prejudice?  Well so does 12 year old Polly Madassa and she talks like those characters and even LIVES like those characters!  I loved Polly - she was a character that just drew me in - she made me laugh right out loud - and that doesn't happen often while I'm reading!  She is not to be missed - your junior high readers will LOVE her!!

Is there anything better than a Kate DiCamillo novel???? Nope, I don't think so! SO when I started The Magician's Elephant, I knew I was in for a treat. She just does not disappoint! Once again, a tender story of a little boy who loses his parents and is left with an elderly militaristic man to raise him. Little Peter is convinced his small sister, whom he was asked to care for by his mother before she died, is still alive. When he visits the fortune teller, she confirms to him that his sister is indeed alive and that the elephant will lead him to her. Peter is encouraged and discouraged - he wants to find his sister, but there is certainly no elephant! That is the greatness - an elephant appears magically in his town and the journey begins. I love the way this tender story weaves itself together - each character plays a part in bringing you to the end - the grand culmination of love and family. Yoko Tanaka is a superb illustrator and weaves her spell again with the beautiful illustrations that lend to the mysterious quality in this story. Marvelous!! Visit the WEBSITE too - it is wonderful! And the scuttlebutt is that 20th Century Fox is soon to begin a movie based on the book - I'll take it!

Susan Patron's latest - Lucky Breaks - is another winner in my book. I SO enjoyed The Higher Power of Lucky and was hoping to be as enamored with this one - and I was! I just love the - the coming of age - grappling with life - in such an innocent style. Patron's books make me laugh out loud and then, in the next page, even feel a tear starting - they are just THAT good. I love Lucky - she is, I am sure, a carbon copy of myself at that age. :) (I'll have to talk to Patron about that sometime!) She is spunky, full of fun, and yet can see the faults in herself so clearly as well - and best of all, she knows how to say "I'm sorry." I am just SO glad that this sequel lives up to the first.

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein has written The Truth (I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything). She sent me a copy to read and review, and I am thrilled with this little book. This will be a fast read for kids, but it hits at the heart of what girls this age are thinking. It is a young girl's account in her diary of her thoughts and feelings. It is presented in such a way that I think girls will laugh and empathize with the girl in this book. It's right where they are, and it is a book that will encourage them to be all they can be "right where they are". With her 25 years of being a psychologist, Dr. Holstein, really knows the mind of a young teen - I think she's right on!

I am telling you - this is one for EVERY librarian to read - oh yeah, and every kid too!! What a riot!! What you didn't know is that librarians are a cult and their plan is to blind people to the truth. That is where Alcatraz comes in - he must stop them - by infiltrating the local library!!!! Go Alcatraz - just see if you can stop us!! Thanks to Brandon Sanderson for such a great book - Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians is a winner - one that boys, especially, will LOVE!!

Jordan Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is Right up there at the top!!! I love to find a strong "guy book" and this is certainly one of them. Don't get me wrong - girls will love it too - but the main character is 13 year old, Steven. He goes through all the normal 8th grade stuff - girls, band - drums, and friends - but throw in there a 5 year old brother diagnosed with leukemia. The emotions are varied and oh-so-real - I just loved this one and am already scoping out another Sonnenblick novel to read. You can be sure I am selling this one to all my guy readers!!

All I can say is, "WOW!!" This book is absolutely wonderful - I have all of my boys reading it quick before I take it back to the library. K. L. Going's book, The Liberation of Gabriel King is just superb!!! I love it that the main character, 4th grader, Gabriel King is afraid of everything. I love it that his best friend, Frita, is set to "liberate" Gabriel. I love it that deep down Frita also has her own fears. I love it that it interweaves so nicely prejudice. I love EVERYTHING about it, and you can be sure ALL of the kids that come through my library will know about it too!!! And here I go to read another of Going's books - she is a new-found blessing!!